The Mansions of Madness Board Game

Mansions of Madness is made by Fantasy Flight Games, the same people who publish the Arkham Horror board game. You’ll notice a number of similarities, including many of the same heroes, villains, and references to the Cthulhu Mythos from author H.P. Lovecraft. In fact, the Mansions of Madness board game is often referred to as a more small-scale version of Arkham Horror, with the players (also known as “investigators”) exploring isolated mansions instead of entire cities.

Like Arkham Horror, the average game of Mansions of Madness lasts between two and three hours. Suitable for two to five players, this horror board game requires one member of the group (known as the “keeper”) to run the monsters while everyone else picks an investigator. As the heroes attempt to solve mysteries and achieve objectives required by the story, the keeper attempts to harass them at every turn and send them to an early grave.

Mansions of Madness Expansions

Mansions of Madness ExpansionsA number of Mansions of Madness expansions exist to expand your enjoyment of the setting. All of these supplements are available at the Fantasy Flight Games website, and they can also be found at various game stores and online retailers such as Amazon. As of this writing, the following Mansions of Madness expansions are available:

Season of the Witch - A single scenario expansion that sends investigators into the dreaded Witch House to save the citizens of Arkham from a terrible fate. Includes reference sheets, Keeper action cards, event cards, objective cards, and new clue and exploration cards.

The Silver Tablet - When a respected professor runs off with a silver tablet belonging to the university, you’re hired to explore her mansion and look for clues. As you might expect from games like this and Arkham Horror, the truth is liable to shatter your sanity. Includes a number of new components, such as almost fifty lock, obstacle, clue and exploration cards.

Forbidden Alchemy - This Mansions of Madness expansion includes three new scenarios, as well as two new monster types and four more investigators. Rules are added for richer gameplay, and your investigators will have to contend with Alchemy puzzles, mutations, trips through time, and even human hands that crawl around without a body.

Til Death Do Us Part - When dead people start walking among the living, your group must get to the bottom of the mystery by once again exploring deadly mansions and laboratories. This set includes 35 exploration and clue cards, as well as event, infection, lock, and obstacle cards.

Mansions of Madness Painted Miniatures

When you open the basic set, you’ll notice that the investigators and monsters are unpainted. If you desire a more polished look for your gaming sessions, you can add Mansions of Madness painted miniatures. You’ll either have to paint the figures yourself, or you can search sites such as eBay for sets that have already been finished. Unless you’re experienced with preparing miniatures, I suggest buying them from someone else, as your first attempt at painting may yield results that are less than satisfactory.

Mansions of Madness Characters

If you’ve ever played Arkham Horror, you’ll immediately notice that the Mansions of Madness characters are the same as the Arkham Horror characters. In fact, their character bios are almost identical. For those of you who haven’t played either game, here’s a list of the Mansions of Madness characters included in the basic set (more characters are introduced in the expansions):

Joe Diamond - A two-fisted private eye who specializes in cases involving the supernatural. A cross between one of Humphrey Bogart’s many big screen detectives and Mickey Rourke from Angel Heart.

Prof. Harvey Walters - When it comes to ancient religions and languages, few possess the kind of knowledge that Harvey Walters does. And while he’s more comfortable in the library than in the field, he’s not afraid to get his hands dirty when the situation calls for it. Based on the sample character from Chaosium’s Call of Cthulhu role-playing Game.

Ashcan Pete - Accompanied by his loyal dog and a guitar, Pete wanders the United States helping people in need. He’s especially suited for this since his dreams often provide insight into the future. Whether he’s sneaking a ride on a train or sleeping on the ground, this is one hobo who’s intent on making a difference.

Sister Mary - Blessed with an unshakable faith, this Arkham nun has devoted her life to serving God and protecting the innocent from the forces of the foul Ancient Ones. As the days grow darker and evil becomes more active, Mary is prepared to fight back with the power of prayer.

Michael McGlen - After his criminal associate was killed by something not of this world, the tough-as-nails gangster decided to declare war on the supernatural. Now he roams from town to town, gunning down cultists with his machine gun and blowing larger beasts apart with well-placed dynamite.

Jenny Barnes - Most of Jenny’s time is spent jet-setting around the globe in constant pursuit of entertainment and comfort. But when she receives a startling letter from her sister, Jenny wastes no time in returning home. Unfortunately, her sister Isabelle has now gone missing, prompting the wealthy gal to begin a thorough investigation of the occult.

Kate Winthrop - Shy-yet-brilliant, Kate once watched in terror as a foul being from another world devoured her friend and mentor. Vowing to help protect the world from such abominations, Kate started spending all her spare time working on a scientific device to counter the supernatural. The end result is called a flux stabilizer, and she’s itching to try it out on some gibbering nasties.

Gloria Goldberg - As a girl, Gloria had to contend with terrifying visions during her waking hours. Years later, she would become a successful author by writing about what she saw. The visions are still present and stronger than ever, and Gloria believes them to be a peek inside the world of the supernatural. She’s now determined to fight back and purify both the world and her psyche.

Mansions of Madness Monsters

While the investigators are the heroes of the story, what would the game be without plenty of Mansions of Madness monsters to battle? And unlike Arkham Horror, the players won’t have to contend with seemingly unstoppable forces like Azathoth and Cthulhu. When you pick up the basic Mansions of Madness set, the following monster miniatures areincluded:

Mansions of Madness Instructions

The basic Mansions of Madness instructions are easy to follow, and this section is devoted to an overview of how gameplay proceeds. First, players will need to choose one of the stories that comes with the basic set (or expansion). This will determine the set-up of the board, which is made up of the rooms of a mansion. The keeper will be able to make certain modifications, as well as place items in various rooms. It should also be noted that only the Keeper knows the specifics of the adventure, including the requirements for the investigators to win. This ensures that the heroes will be somewhat in the dark about what’s going on, just as they would be if they were exploring a creepy mansion in the middle of a raging thunderstorm.

How to Play Mansions of Madness

Once the board is set and players have chosen their characters, the game is ready to begin. Here's how to play Mansions of Madness. Each round, investigators will be able to take an action and move twice. Actions include such things as exploring a room, fighting a monster, giving an item to another player, or moving an additional space.

Exploring is important, as this will allow you to gain clue cards and start to slowly piece together what’s going on within the confines of the adventure. During your exploration, you may also run into puzzles, requiring you to unlock a safe or decipher some form of ancient runes.

During the Keeper’s turn, he gets to summon monsters and find other ways to make life difficult for the heroes. One of the most annoying is being split up, especially since there are some monsters who delight in attacking investigators all by their lonesome.

Winning Mansions of Madness - Strategy

A winning Mansions of Madness strategy requires teamwork and a decent amount of luck. More clues may be revealed to the players as the rounds pass, or even greater horrors may be unleashed. The random nature of occurrences gives it a high replay value, while the quality of artwork ensures that it will look impressive spread out on your dining room table. For those who’ve played Arkham Horror or similar horror board games, Mansions of Madness will deliver the same visceral thrills.